Ethiopia PM visits village hit by deadly landslide

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Saturday visited a remote and mountainous village hit by the country’s deadliest landslide which killed over 250 people.

Officials are still trying to pinpoint how many people were killed when heavy rain on Sunday triggered a landslide that engulfed the the tiny locality of Kencho Shacha Gozdi, about 480 kilometres (300 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa.

At least 257 have perished, according to the latest toll from the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA, which also warned that up to 500 might have died — with the number of missing unknown.

Abiy, who was accompanied by his wife and other leaders, planted a tree at the local cemetery, the south Ethiopia regional state office of the president said on social media.

Ethiopia is highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters.